Drew Lafond & Danielle Hopkins-Carter, MLT Aikins
This resource explains the difference between Indian status and band membership. Indian status is a legal category defined by the federal government under the Indian Act, while band membership determines whether someone belongs to a particular First Nation. Since 1985, these have been separate things. Some First Nations under Section 10 set their own membership rules, while others under Section 11 still have membership tied directly to Indian status.